Boxing glove



D. J. HEALY BOXING GLOVE Filed Oct.

Patented Sept. 7, 1926.

Damien J'. HEKLY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BOXING GLOVE.-

present invention relates to boxing in closing the hand. This is oftentimes di flicult for the amateur to learn, and is often forgotten momentarily by the experienced boxer It the thumb is left projecting upwardly alongside of the forefinger, it i like ly to he strained or broken i striking a blow. similarly, if the thumb is doubled across the; outer sidesof the fingers, on the outer strik'in 'ls'ide of the hand, or is tucked in underthe' hn' ers' the pal'inofthe hand, there is; always the likelihood of spraining or breaking one of the joints of the thumb fromthe force of a blow; The only proper pla ce forthe thumb when; the hand is c'lojsed is across the frontof the knuckles parallel to the palm or the hand; p

The fundamental object of the present invention isto provide a -hoxing love inwhich this position of the thumb will occur unconsciously or autcmatica flyfrom the mere closing"of the glove; It is not practicable to sew or otl'ierwise' fixedly secure the thumb in this" position,- asit is often desirable to open' the hand inblocki'ng b1ow. Lik Wise, it is not practicable in attaiiiing this end to employ a COHStIU'CtlQiI in which the thumb or .aiiyother'pa'rt oithe glove might form projection" which would have the aossibil'ity of injuringflthe eye ofi an oppo nent. The rigid rules; laid down by boxing commission now controlling boxili'ig. in the majority of States won-lather such a glove. The present glove employs a1 u ique arrangement of curved or hooked thumb and coeperating' pocket for receivin the same, According to the present invention, this thumb has a normal hook-like curvature ex tending to the very extremity thereof, which curvature unconsciously] deflects the thumb into proper position in the pocket in the act of closing the glove"; otheifiposition of the tlmmb with the glove closed requires a onscious effort on the part of the boxer to straighten out or otherwise overcome the relatively definite curvature given the entire thumbp'f the glove. glove constructed in accordance with the present invention has no projecting o1 unpafdded portions which. might cause seriousinjury' to an oponent.

Referring to the ac'coni anying'drawing in which I; have illustrated the manner of practicing my invention:

7, 1925. Serial no. 60,971.

Figure 1 an elevational view of the 1 inner side of the glove;

Figure 2 is an elevational View of the thumb. side of the glove;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional View through the curved thumb, similarly to a section on the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional View through the upper end of the glove taken ap qroxiinately on the plane of the line 4l of Figure '1.

Th'e glove comprises the usual palm portion 6, the back or outer portion 7, and the thumb 8,- all preferably constructed of leather, The lower end" of thepalm portion is sli'tted at 9 and has the customary lacing I1 and lacing apertures 12 for lacing the glove onto the hand. The back of the glove is padded with any desired thickness of padding and this padding may also be embodied in rolls or hands 14 extending across the back of the wrist. The hand fits into a pocket 16" formed between the palm piece 6 and an inner lining 17 of leather or fabric, preferably the latter. The back padding 1 8 is stuffed between this lining I7 and the bacl: portion of the glove. At the upper end of the glove the finger receptacle 16, which receives the four fingers,- is sewed to the back portion ot the glove across approximately one-half of this upper end, as indicated at 19. Across the other half of this upperend', the palm piece 6' is left free for pro'vidiiig an opening between the palm piece and the back padded portion of the glove, in which opening" is formed a thumb stall or pocket 21 for receiving the end of the thumb 8. As clearly shown in Figure 41 this thumb pocket 21' thus occurs between the free edge 22 of the finger receptacle and the padded back portion of the glove. This thu'i'nb pocketis faced, on each side by front and rear :tacings 23 and 24, preferably of leather. The lower edges of these facing pieces are sewed together, as indicated at 25, this sewing being also extended through thelining, 17 for fastening the lower edge J1! the pocket. This lower edge or bottom of the pocket is curved, as indicated by the dotted line 25 iii-Figure The upper edge o'ithe back facing 24 of this pocket'is sewed at 26- 50] the edge of the bacli:= portion 7 the glove. Tl'ie' upper edge of the front. fac- 23 of thisil'aocket" is sewed to the free where the latter" is curved over the end of edge of thepalin portion 6, and preferably to the upper edge of the lining 17,- these two or three thicknesses being preferably curled or rolled to fornrthe beaded outer edge 22 of the pocket.

A padded roll 28 preferably extendsacross the palm of the glove, and over which the fingers close when the hand is clenched. The ends of this padded roll 28 are sewed to the palm portion (3 and to the back portion 7 at the lateral edges'ofthe'pahn por-' tion.

Referring now to the thumb S, as best illustrated in Figures 11 and 3, it will be noted that this thumb comprises an inner )ly ing'32, both preferably of-leathenf These" inner and outer facings are sewed to the palm portion 6 and to the'back portion 7, respectively. The thumb receptacle 33 is defined between this inner facing ply 31 and'a strip of lining34t, preferably of fabric, which is sewedat 35 to the lining 17 of the main hand pocket or receptacle. The three thicknesses consisting of the inner facing 31, the outer facing 32, and the lining 3a are sewed together along the thumb seams" 36 which extend up along both sides of the thumb and across the end thereof. Padding 37 is inserted between the back facing 32 and this lining 34-, this padding being relatively thick over the two joints of the thumb and tl ienhaving a graduated taper extending to the very extremity of the thumb, substantially as shown in Figure 3.

Ingiving the desired hook-like curvature to the thumb S, the outer facing or ply 32 of leather is gathered along its lateral edges in sewing this outer facing to the inner fac; iiig 31. These lateral edges on both sides o f'the thumb are folded or gathered in pleats 38 before sewing to the inner facing 31.

'1 hese pleats shorten the lateral edgesof the, outer covering 32 and give a definite curvatureto the entire tliumb. The pleats are pref rably confined mostly to the interme- V diascyp'artr of thethumb to give the major portion of thiscurvature to this part of the thumb. The stuffing of the padding 37 down to the very extremity of the thumb cobperates with the gathering or folding 38 of these lateral edges in resiliently retain-' ing this desired curvature of the thumb. In the absence .of this padding at the end of the thumb, the extreme pli'ability of the, leather itself would prevent the pleats 38 from maintaining this substantially definite curvature; p

virtue of this substantially definite curvature, resiliently maintained in" the thumb, the mere closing of the glove the 5 act of clenching the hand unconsciously or automatically directs the thumb 8 into the thumb'pocket 21 '7 This properly positions the thumb across the back of the knuckles or facing 31 and an outer ply or facwhere'it is least susceptible to injury. The folding of the fingers towards the palm in the act of clenching the hand draws the free edge 22 of thejthumb pocket away from the back facing 24 of this pocket, thus opening wide'the mouth of the pocket for the instinctive insertion of the thumb.

' T he resilientcurvature which is normally maintained in the thumb 8. makes the straightening of the'thumb an effort and thusreduces or avoids the likelihood of the thumb being'held out straight across the forefinger in a position in which it might be broken. The extension of the padding out tothe extr'emityof the thumb, in addition.

which might be extended at an angle todo injury to the eye ofan opponent would be generally barred by-boxing commissions.

Having thus described my invention, Whatv I claim as new and desire tosecure by Let-,.

ters Patent of the United'States is: i

1. In abox'ing glove', the,combination of a finger receptacle, padded backportion,

padded thumb -receptacle',"andl a thumb pocket between the finger receptacle and the padded back portionhavinga flexible wall in common with said finger receptacle,'saidpadded backbeing sufficiently stiff so that said thumb pocketwfll gape opeii. toward said thumb receptacle upon. clenching'of the fingersofthe hand; V

2. In a boxingglove, apadded back por tion, a thumb receptacle, a finger receptacle. closed at the'end thereof ,whichfis nearest.

the ofthe glove, a pocket which .is open at the end thereof whichis nearest thetip of the glove, sa'idipocket being located between the padded back portion and the finger receptacle and having a wall in common with the finger receptacle, [whereby clenching of the fingerscauses said pocketto gape open for'the ready reception of said thumb receptacle. 3 i l In a palmv portion, a back'po'rtion', a lining portion co -operating ith Said; palm portion in forming a finger receptacle, said palm por tion and said lming'portron being sewedto said back portion along'a' part ofthe ipper end of the glove, said palm portion being left free along the; other part of the upper: end

of] said glove, a pocketflbetvveeri the free edgeof said palmiportion and the back por tion of i said glove, said 1- pocket comprisingboxing glove the combination of a front and rear facings, theflower edges of- I 7 both facings being sewedf togsaid lining portion, the jupp er Q edge or; rear. :faeing being sewed to d baekirer el he; uppe edge of said front facing being sewed to said palm portion, a thumb comprising inner and outer portions and a lining portion, padding inserted between said lining portion and said outer portion and being extended to the extremity of said thumb, and plea-ts formed in said outer. portion along the lateral seams between said inner and outer portions for giving a resiliently maintained curvature to said thumb throughout its entire length.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 21st day of September 1925.

DANIEL J. HEALY. 

